How to Remove the Half Shaft on a Ford Focus

Russell Wood Updated February 21, 2017

The engine in a Ford Focus is connected to a transmission, known as the transaxle. This transaxle turns the front wheels using the halfshafts, which are bolted between the suspension and the transaxle. These halfshafts have bearings and boots on them, both of which can wear down and break. If that happens, then you could have a problem driving the vehicle. To fix the problem, you must remove the halfshaft from the car, which should take about an hour to do.

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Lift the front of the Focus with the jack and place jack stands underneath the body. Take off the front wheels with the tire iron. Pop the bonnet and loosen the top strut mount bolt by four rotations.

Unbolt the lower control arm from the steering knuckle using the 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. Separate the two by striking the side of the knuckle with the hammer.

Remove the halfshaft from the wheel hub in the steering knuckle using the hub press.

Put the drain pan underneath the inner halfshaft connection on the transaxle. Pull the halfshaft out of the transaxle and away from the vehicle.

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Things You'll Need

Jack

Jack stands

Tire iron

3/8-inch ratchet and socket set

Hammer

Drain pan

Hub press

References

About the Author

Russell Wood is a writer and photographer who attended Arizona State University. He has been building custom cars and trucks since 1994, including several cover vehicles. In 2000 Wood started a career as a writer, and since then he has dedicated his business to writing and photographing cars and trucks, as well as helping people learn more about how vehicles work.